"The USA’s military spending accounted for 43 per cent of the world total in 2009

US military expenditure continued to grow in 2009, by 7.7 per cent in real terms, reaching $661 billion in current prices. The first budget of the new Obama Administration, for Fiscal Year 2010, requested a similar level of budget authority for military spending as in 2009, but the subsequent decision to further increase the US troop presence in Afghanistan by 30,000 led to an additional $30 billion being requested for the year. Overall, outlays for “National Defense” (which do not always follow the same trends as budget authority, as funds authorized in one year may be spent in the same or later years) are projected to increase to $719 billion for FY2010. Overall, the Obama budget involved some refocusing of priorities, but no major strategic shift."

"Weird, such candor from the VOA. Maybe their CIA check bounced? In any case, let’s meet some denizens of Philadelphia’s the Gallery, my local shopping center. Mrs. Fischel runs a meat and cheese shop. Business has steadily declined over several years now. To make matters worse, management has raised her rent, to make up for the other merchants who have closed shops or who are behind in their payments. The third level of this mall is completely dead, and the second is barely hanging on. Just this week, Payless Shoes as well as G&G, Unica and Sunshine Blues, all clothing stores, have gone belly up"

Are our foreign exchange reserves in US currency? Because the US dollar IS really only worth the PAPER its printed on!

“And if they put Jews into gas chambers in the Soviet Union,” he added, “it is not an American concern. Maybe a humanitarian concern.”

but then

Even some who deplored Mr. Kissinger’s remarks tempered their criticism. The Anti-Defamation League called the recorded statements “outrageous,” but said they did not undermine “the important contributions and ultimate legacy of Henry Kissinger,” including his support of Israel.

I have mentioned that TMI deliberately or unintentionally blocks my comments. Has it blacklisted me? Do I need to get screenshots (I am no techie), for every comment I make, to prove my point?

Well today, I commented on the article "KLIA fast losing its shine". TMI did not publish my comments.

Are they waiting for me to post the same comment again? And by showing a duplicate comment, suggesting it to be a technical remit?

Does this this innocuous comment on the said article merit a block?

In my reply to 'morly', I commented

"Welcome to TMI!

Not only pretty faces, pretty egos as well. Some of them at least.

1. You would be hard pressed to find an article that is not bombarded with anti-Govt broadside and political sloganeering.

2. The authors just write a piece and most often than not, do not reply. You would think that someone who took the trouble to write a piece would also take the trouble to respond. Its food for thought as to who actually moderates the articles, the author or TMI.

That being said. The author has written what she is experiencing or concerned that needed to be said from her point of view. We should take note in good faith. Where there are shortcomings at KLIA, they should be looked into.

Sunday, December 19, 2010

"Not long ago the only label more lethal to one's reputation was that of child molester, but, as many men of the cloth are now discovering, there is this difference: a child molester may hope for a second chance.

There is also another difference. We have a pretty clear idea what child molestation is. Nobody really knows what "anti-Semitism" is. My old boss Bill Buckley wrote an entire book called In Search of Anti-Semitism without bothering to define anti-Semitism.

At the time I thought this was an oversight. I was wrong. The word would lose its utility if it were defined. As I observed in my own small contribution to the book, an "anti-Semite" used to mean a man who hated Jews. Now it means a man who is hated by Jews"

"What, exactly, is "anti-Semitism"? One standard dictionary definition is "hostility toward or discrimination against Jews as a religious or racial group." How this applies to me has never been explained. My "hostility" toward Israel is a desire not for war, but for neutrality -- out of a sense of betrayal, waste, and shame. Our venal politicians have aligned us with a foreign country that behaves dishonorably. Most alleged "anti-Semites" would wince if Jews anywhere were treated as Israel treats its Arab subjects. Moreover, Israel has repeatedly betrayed its only benefactor, the United States. I have already alluded to the place Dante reserves for those who betray their benefactors.

These are obvious moral facts. Yet it's not only politicians who are afraid to point them out; so are most journalists -- the people who are supposed to be independent enough to say the things politicians can't afford to say. In my thirty years in journalism, nothing has amazed me more than the prevalent fear in the profession of offending Jews, especially Zionist Jews."

"Israel insists that its "right to exist" is nothing more than the right of every nation on earth to be left in peace. This right is allegedly threatened by fanatical Arabs who want to "drive the Jews into the sea," as witness the recent wave of Palestinian terror. But in truth, Israel's claimed "right to exist" is much more than it seems at first sight. It means a right to rule as Jews, enjoying rights denied to native Palestinians."

Saturday, December 18, 2010

Deliberately or unintentionally some of my comments have not been published. Usually, when they do not conform or rebut the malevolent intent of an article.

The recent being, "NEM fails to excite global investors" when my comment questioned the credibility of these "expert analysis" of US financial conglomerates, being suspect crooks and with questionable accounting practises.

Thus my "Professional crooks! and "Have you also done this accounting ploy? ROFL" comments, were not published.

By the way, that negative article more or less repeats this diatribe while positively praising Sinkapore.

I digressed, pertinently.

Coming back to the essence of this post, I am not bothered whose interests you promote but by reproducing a highly inflammatory articlewhich was published earlier1 December as breaking views (implying being a latest view) today 18 December, reeks of a reckless and insidious agenda.

BREAKING VIEWS

Breaking views article today, 18 December

Same article, 01 December

I suggest you hire me to professionally ensure such a misstep, which make you look amateurish in hiding a motive, do not occur. Or should I say, recur.

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

As a layman I do not wholly grasp high finance, economics and currency matters. For example, try as much as I might, I still cannot comprehend HOW and WHO determines the value of currency, it makes me giddy. What I do know is that Bank Negara Malaysia, an agency of the Govt under the purview of the MOF, is the central bank that regulates fiscal and monetary policies of the country.

The American central bank, the US Federal Reserve, is not governed by the US Govt and can be technically considered a private entity consisting of 12 Regional Banks in the US of A.

According to the Board of Governors, the Federal Reserve is independent within government in the sense that "its decisions do not have to be ratified by the President or anyone else in the executive or legislative branch of government."

and

Thus the Federal Reserve has both private and public aspects.The U.S. Government receives all of the system's annual profits, after a statutory dividend of 6% on member banks' capital investment is paid, and an account surplus is maintained. The Federal Reserve transferred a record amount of $45 billion to the U.S. Treasury in 2009.

Here is an interesting link, a petition, to abolish the US Federal Reserve. It connotes Jewish conspiracy but has salient points worth pondering.

In the petition,

In reality, the act created a private, for profit, central Banking Corporation owned by a cartel of private banks. Who owns the FED? The Rothschilds of London and Berlin; Lazard Brothers of Paris; Israel Moses Seif of Italy; Kuhn, Loeb and Warburg of Germany; and the Lehman Brothers, Goldman, Sachs and the Rockefeller families of New York.

Paul Warburg was an advocate for a central bank in the United States and was chosen by President Woodrow Wilson to serve as one of the first members of the Federal Reserve Board

...in 1895 Warburg married an American citizen, Nina Loeb, an accomplished violinist, and began to live part of the year in New York. Six years later, at age 34, he left Germany, took up permanent residency in the United States, and accepted a position as a partner at his father-in-law's firm, Kuhn, Loeb and Co.—one of Wall Street's most important and respected banking houses

Reading parts of the petition together with "Washington flooding financial markets with $600 billion of worthless dollars, hoping a rising tide of Monopoly money will somehow lift America out of recession", understanding all these not only makes me giddy, it bewilders me.

"One of the functions that the United States Congress charged the Federal Reserve System with in 1913 was guiding monetary policy. Now, it is certainly the Fed's most famous responsibility. Yet few people really understand how it is that the Fed guides the nation's economy. And there's good reason for that — it's complicated!"

TMI wrote, "The Economist itself dismissed talk of early polls although it said the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) government could lose more seats in the next general election due to declining Malay support."

"Government efforts to rationalise the country’s extensive subsidy scheme will exert an upward influence on prices in the forecast period (2011 till 2015),” it quoted the EIU.

Thats the he said, she said bit.

From the EIU dated 1 December.

At a glanceDecember 1st 2010OVERVIEW

"The ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition is expected to maintain its hold on power in the coming five years, winning the next election. The Economist Intelligence Unit expects the BN, which is controlled by its largest component party, the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO), to call an election in 2012, a year before its term ends, as is the tradition. Fiscal policy will be gradually tightened during the forecast period (2011-15) as the government strives to balance its budget by 2020. Monetary policy will also be tightened as domestic demand remains firm. The economy is expected to return to a sustainable growth path in 2011-15, following a mild recession in 2009 and a strong rebound in 2010. Real GDP growth will average 5% a year in 2011-15. The annual rate of inflation is expected to average a subdued 3% in 2011-15. The government's efforts to rationalise its extensive subsidy scheme will exert an upward influence on prices in the forecast period. Despite the relatively fast pace of growth in merchandise imports compared with that in exports, Malaysia will continue to post substantial trade and current-account surpluses in 2011-15.

Key changes from last month

Political outlook

The BN's victories in two by-elections in November has intensified speculation that a snap parliamentary poll could be called. However, we still expect the BN to wait until after the Sarawak state election, which must be held by July 2011, before deciding on a date for a parliamentary poll.

Economic policy outlook

Bank Negara Malaysia, (the central bank) decided to leave its main policy interest rate unchanged at 2.75% in November, but we expect the bank to raise the rate incrementally over the forecast period.

Stable: The budget deficit will remain wide in 2011, and the government's debt-servicing costs will rise. However, the government is not expected to face major financing problems.

Currency risk

Stable: The ringgit is expected to strengthen against the US dollar on an annual average basis in 2011-12. The currency's value will be underpinned by a large current-account surplus and relatively strong economic growth.

Banking sector risk

Stable: The rating for banking sector risk will be supported by reduced risk aversion in global credit markets, which will support access to external funds for local financial and non-financial institutions.

BBB+,BBB,BBB - Adequate protection factors and considered sufficient for prudent investment. However, there is considerable variability in risk during economic cycles

Saturday, December 4, 2010

The Malaysian Insider is the 2nd ranked internet alternative news media (Malaysiakini ranks higher) with The Star Online being the highest ranking, among the mainstream and Utusan Malaysia Online coming in 2nd.

Being the 2nd ranking alternative news media, TMI is duty bound to have a balanced and fair news coverage and opinions.

Alternative means having a choice between two mutually exclusive possibilities or existing outside traditional/established institutions/systems and espousing or reflecting values that are different from those of the establishment or mainstream.

Being alternative does not mean giving an impression that may lead to misinterpretations or misunderstandings.

I can safely say The Malaysian Insider slants its news items with particular bias or appeal to a certain audience.

I am now dedicating a regular space for the top TMI Slants of the week, in admiration of its disingenuous creativity.

Caution: Slants causes extreme ROFL. I will not be responsible for any injury caused or arising from laughing in accessing links of the TMI slant.

Ladies and Gentlemen, TMI did very well indeed. Presenting the top TMI Slants of the Week.

As in my previous, the moderator at TMI had not published my comments in reply to commentors Kazakian and Jeff.

Whatever the reason, technical or otherwise, I am publishing it here.

To Kazakian 2 comments.

1. I am not referring to the Article, the gist of which is noble but hides the authors bigotry. His opening line proves it. Why must he think that the Star report has racial undertones. He said it, he made it racial . So who is the culprit at the other end of the spectrum. In his small little world the majority of us Malaysian are racist.

2. By the way. Where did I twist his meaning? Your response to me is because you agree with the article. Good for you. I am concerned with the author, not the gist of the article.

To Jeff another 2 comments.

1.Jeff,Theres no need to pin point. Where are his facts? Mentioning religious schools, families etc. All Govt depts? All references to Malays in the Malaysian context. You read in the way the author wants you to read it, good for you. I ask you, are we the majority of Malaysians, all races included, racist? Do you think that we are so shallow in our thinking? When it comes to the festivals do we shun each other? Why say mental boxes? If one wants to talk about race, lets talk about its virtues and tolerance, the positive side of our country in respect to race relations, how to enhance it. Each country is unique. I posted at a site, the Malaysian social and political context and reality, mull on this, a coalition Govt of BN and Pas. I commented here, its not the aricle, its the author that I am concerned.

2.And isn't it typical when your type disagree, you ask the other party to vamoose.

MyKad

Love my country with its pimples, warts and all - a paradise on earth. Born in Kuala Lumpur, Selangor. Blog, Title and Description was created a flip-flop moment in time and what others following will aspire the country to be, that which was achieved by the Special One.

DISCLAIMER

All content provided on this blog is for informational purposes only. The owner of this blog does not share the view of any comments unless otherwise stated. The owner is not responsible and makes no representations as to the accuracy or completeness of any comments published or information found by following any link on this site. The owner will not be liable for any errors or omissions in this information nor for the availability of this information. The owner will not be liable for any losses, injuries, or damages from the display or use of this information. Reader discretion is always advised.